Tripp Stanford is the marketing specialist at Bellhops, a moving company that has moved 50,000 people in 85 cities nationwide over the past three years. Tripp recently checked in to offer tips for planning a headache-free move. Here’s what he had to say:
Where should homeowners start when planning a move?
Moving can be a simple process, but it often occurs during emotional times. You’re either moving off to college, or moving to a new city for a job or moving in with a significant other. When preparing to move, people should first consider the gravity of the situation and start preparing for the move. This includes auditing everything a homeowner has, organizing and donating what’s unimportant – you know, that stuff that just takes up space. The fewer things you have to move the cheaper and easier it will be to move.
What advice can you offer on packing?
After cleaning out your house and removing the clutter, you’re ready to pack. The best way to pack is to box each room up itself. Keep all the kitchen boxes together, all the bedroom boxes together, all the bathroom boxes…well, you get it. By doing this, you’ll be able to organize the moving truck with everything in the same area as the room it will moved into. After you’ve moved everything into the truck like this, then you’ll be able to unload all the boxes and miscellaneous stuff out of it into their specific rooms. There’s a benefit to being extremely organized within the moving process.
What’s the most important thing homeowners can do to ensure a headache-free move?
To save time and your back, I’d highly suggest hiring a local moving company. They are normally licensed and insured, so that if they do break anything, you’re covered. It will be less risky for them to move your armoire than for your neighbors to do it. They’re also more efficient and quicker. You can turn your moving day into a moving half day with some hired moving help.
What are the smartest things a homeowner can do when hiring a moving company?
If you’ve made the decision to use a moving company, I’d highly suggest checking up on their reviews and figuring out if they’re fully licensed and insured. There are some shady folks out there that are out to just make a buck and lie about their licensing. It’s not hard for someone to throw up a Craigslist ad and offer almost unimaginable rates, but it could be extremely risky to hire them.
What are your favorite tools or resources for making a move seamless?
My favorite tool out there during a move is a dolly. They’re simple, but effective. A man with a dolly can move as fast as two men without one. You can feel safe moving washers, dryers, entertainment centers and pretty much anything else that causes dolly-less men to tremble.
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